The production debut of Ford Motor Company's TwinForce—twin-turbochargers and direct-injection gasoline-engine technology—is expected with the all-new 2009 Lincoln MKS flagship sedan that is slated to go on sale next year.

TwinForce technology will be applied to Ford's inline-four cylinder as well as V-6 engines before 2011, the automaker announced at a product event at its proving grounds in Dearborn.

Ford gave us a first look at TwinForce with the 3.5-liter V-6 in the Lincoln MKR concept at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Ford officials are not providing timing on the rollout of the turbos and direct-injection engines, but the expectation is that the I-4 application will debut with the 2009 Ford Fusion. And while Ford officials did not address V-8s, we anticipate that the technology will be incorporated into the new Boss modular V-8 family that will eventually make its way into the next generation F-Series.

TwinForce is part of Ford's push to improve the fuel economy of its vehicles. Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development, says the technology will deliver diesel-like fuel economy—as much as a 30 percent gain in fuel economy compared with like-sized gasoline engines. We're pretty sure he means a twin-turbocharged V-6 will deliver V-8-like power with the smaller engine, as a turbo V-6 will likely get worse fuel economy than a conventional V-6.

Powershift Dual-Clutch Six-Speed Automatic

The automaker also is working on its own dual-clutch six-speed automatic transmission—dubbed Powershift—similar to Volkswagen's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). Chrysler recently announced it also will offer a dual-clutch transmission, to be mated to its World Engine family of four-cylinder engines and the new Phoenix family of V-6 engines that will go into production for the 2010 model year. Chrysler says its new Getrag tranny will result in a six percent reduction in fuel consumption.

Ford also continues to bolster its hybrid-electric vehicle stable, with the addition of the 2008 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans. The automaker has pledged hybrid versions of the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers, to be built in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, by 2010. We expect the Ford Flex, which will also be built in Oakville for sale next summer, is under consideration to get a hybrid powertrain.

Meanwhile, Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas, won't comment on plans for a Taurus hybrid, an idea under study, according to CEO Alan Mulally, and which was alluded to in September 2006 as part of the accelerated Way Forward program.

Report Card

Meanwhile, Fields used the product event to provide an update on the automaker's efforts and fortunes:

• Capacity reduction as part of the Way Forward restructuring is ahead of schedule, with 14,000 salaried and 27,000 hourly workers gone.

• For 2008, 70 percent of Ford's product lineup, by volume, will be new or significantly refreshed; that figure grows to 100 percent by 2010.

• Ford's market share is stabilizing after an 11-year slide. It was 15.3 percent through May, with the expectation it will settle at 14-15 percent.

• In continued efforts to better balance its car/truck mix, Ford says its cars and car-based crossovers account for 48 percent of the 2007 mix, up from 30 percent in 2004, but still far shy of the 62 percent industry figure.• Ford supports raising corporate average fuel economy standards, but at a reasonable pace, not one that would "tank the companies in the process," Fields says. The current Senate proposal is "economically unfeasible" and would impose a huge bill on the industry.

• Fields deflected questions about seemingly aborted plans to build a low-cost assembly plant in North America—likely Mexico—saying the project remains under consideration.